THE DUDE ABIDES

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Sixteen years after its release, cult classic “The Big Lebowski” is headed to the National Film Registry, among 25 films selected by the Library of Congress to be preserved as important parts of American history.The film, written and directed by the Coen brothers, flopped at the box office but then radiated as a cultural phenomenon, spawning annual festivals in dozens of cities, late-night movie showings and even its own religion built on the laid-back slacker philosophies of The Dude. The unemployed and always quotable Dude, played by Jeff Bridges, has even been cited in academic research papers over the years. Will Russell, the co-founder of Lebowski Fest, who has watched the film hundreds of times, told the Washington Post, “It’s only after 10 or 12 viewings that the film’s true beauty emerges.”

The other films added to the registry this year include “Saving Private Ryan,” “Rosemary’s Baby,” “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”

So sit back, grab a White Russian and enjoy a few surprising gems about the 1998 classic.

Sources: IMDB.com, Rolling Stone

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The Dude says “man” 147 times in the movie, or about 1.5 times a minute. The word “dude” is used roughly 161 times. The F-word can be heard 292 times, which reportedly tops the word’s frequency in “Scarface.”

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Jeff Bridges used most of his own wardrobe for The Dude, including the Jellies sandals. One of the shirts he wore also appears in “The Fisher King.”

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Through the course of the film, The Dude consumes nine White Russians.

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In case you were wondering, the phone The Dude uses is a Motorola 4500X.

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The line “The Dude abides” is a reference to The Bible’s Ecclesiastes 1:4: “One generation passes away, and another generation comes: but the Earth abides forever.”

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Singer-songwriter Aimee Mann makes a cameo in the film. And of course, Flea, bassist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, plays a German nihilist.

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The character of The Dude was modeled after film producer Jeff Dowd (pictured). Walter’s character, played by John Goodman, was based on right-wing screenwriter John Milius, a big fan of guns and the military.

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Charlize Theron was considered for the role of Bunny Lebowski.

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Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, John Turturro and Julianne Moore (pictured) have all made appearances at Lebowski Fests through the years.

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“Rolling Stone” proclaimed “The Big Lebowski” the “Best Stoner Movie of All Time,” beating out “Friday,” “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure,” “Cheech & Chong’s Next Movie,” “Pineapple Express,” “Harold & Kumar Go To Whitecastle” and “Dazed and Confused.”